


to be king, to be queen

by timelessidyll



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: ??? - Freeform, M/M, but it's also practically nonexistant, i spent an hour researching armor for this because i needed one very specific word, nice @me, so don't bother looking for it, so there's slight kagehina, some sort of medieval au, the title actually has nothing to do with the plot it just sounded really cool, which i already forgot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-18
Updated: 2017-01-18
Packaged: 2018-09-18 11:18:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9382187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timelessidyll/pseuds/timelessidyll
Summary: they rode at night to the camp of the enemy, and their foes would never have guessed the stirring melody to come from anything other than a sorrowful maiden.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ForestFiresong](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForestFiresong/gifts).



Tadashi couldn’t remember the last time Kei had gotten so worked up, maybe because it never happened. Kei never let his emotions get the best of him. It was just a scratch anyways, no big deal. Definitely not a reason for his king to look like he would attack the next person unfortunate enough to push him further past his limit.

“Kei, please, it’s nothing. I just got a small cut; I’m fine.” Futile, really, how Tadashi attempted to reduce Kei’s rage. If anything, from the way his eyes seemed to smolder, he got even angrier. Tadashi knew Kei would never hurt him, but nevertheless, the force with which he turned around to face him was startling. Even more so was how much Kei was shaking.

“A small cut?” Perhaps his voice was what made Tadashi flinch. It was hard, in a way only he could make it, icy as the expression he wore. But underneath the exterior, Tadashi could hear the hopelessness creeping in. “Tadashi, you have a three inch long gash on your chest, at least an eighth of an inch deep. And someone did this with the full intention of killing you. Had Kageyama not been riding nearby and given you support when he heard you fighting, it could have turned out worse.” This irritated Tadashi, pushing memories of a weaker point in his life to the forefront of his mind.

“Kei, I’m the best spearman we have, and Kinoshita is my guard. I’m not going to be taken out that easily.” The statement caught Kei unawares, and when he processed both that and Tadashi’s determined face, a resigned sigh was all that could escape him. Tension seemed to drain from his figure, and with quiet exhaustion made his way over to Tadashi’s and draped over him in a hug. A small widening of his eyes was all that gave away his surprise; Kei wasn’t big on physical affection, and even in private, he rarely initiated it. It was only in cases where he felt substantially stressed that he ever came to Tadashi on his own. A whispered confession made him strain his ears to hear it.

“I just don’t want to lose you. It nearly happened once, and I don’t want it to happen again.” A huff escaped him, and Tadashi pushed Kei off of him a little in order to look Kei in the eyes.

“Kei, that was a time in my life when I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was lost, and I didn’t know how to carry myself. I nearly died because of my indecision, and I remember it just as well as you do; not because I’m scared it will happen again, but because I remind myself to learn from that mistake. I can make myself stronger through that memory, so that it doesn’t drag me down.” The other was silent for a moment, downcast eyes and attentive ears, before looking up again.

“When did you get so wise, Tadashi?”  
∆  
Tobio, Shouyou, Kei, and Tadashi gathered around the cast iron table placed in the center of the room. Dressed in practical robes and cloaks, gauntlets, greaves, and breastplates gleamed in the torchlight, the overarching stone inlaid room stretching too high to be illuminated. Tucked under arms were helmets with visors up, tied on belts were swords sheathed away. On the table were forts and forests, pawns of their forces, and the target they seeked. Kei was the one to break the silence, beckoning the others forward to begin.

“Lord Fidel has stationed his troops outside of his own encampment, three hours march from the river, east. Our first priority is to create a diversion, pull as many soldiers away as we can. Cowardly as it might be, we’ve spent four months gathering this information and planning out the attack. We can’t afford an complications, and we especially can’t let word spread. None of our courts are aware of this, correct?” Tadashi kept examining the board. Somehow, everything they had done had accumulated to this. A small attack on his being had blow up between the kings of two lands, intent on tracking the perpetrator and dragging him down.

“Our court is unaware we are planning a direct attack,” Tobio stated firmly.

“The only person we told anything was Oikawa, and we had to so that we could come here. He was very...persistent, you could say, in finding out why we needed used, dulled armor and different black horses,” Shouyou added. A grunt from Kei was all that gave any indication of discontent.

“I suppose his knowledge cannot be helped. Tadashi, your role is crucial, as you well know. You’re the one drawing Lord Fidel away from the camp.” A slight nod. “You know where you need to take him?” A hum of agreement. There was no more to be said here, he thought, as he turned and walked out, unable to see the look of worry cast towards him by the other queen. Neither did he hear whispered questions and concerned voices, quieted down by the experience of two months.  
∆  
Hooves thudded on the ground, cracking twigs, clashing against stones, reverberating the noise through the night. There was no need for silence here, not now, when the nocturnal forest life began to wake and create just as much racket. Splashing through the river, the horses shying every third step by the fish swirling by their feet. They didn’t speak, relying on their previous conversations to identify their next move. Up the hill, stand at the top, stop. This was the moment their execution would bring fruition.

It was a classical diversion. A rock thrown somewhere else to disguise their hiding place, and the knights fell for it every time. One by one they disappeared into the night, only to hear muffled strikes of rock upon metal over and over. When they all were gone, the encampment was left unguarded in every way. Two cloaked figures slipped through the entrance to the center of the Lord’s camp. A flickering lamp was mounted on a wooden outjut on the tent, providing the only light in the camp. No moon rose tonight, as per Kei’s calculations, and he was correct. A perfect time to initiate revenge; a perfect time to unleash vengeance.

A haunting melody flowed through the air, sorrow and longing snagging the attention of the slumbering lord. It was with great hesitancy that he made his way outside into the dark, and when his eyes adjusted, the lone figure in the clearing was all he could see in the dimming light. He could see no face, no defining features, only a black cloak swirling in slow, hypnotic rhythms around the bottom of the person’s feet. A long, thin instrument could be seen coming out from the side of the cloak, and it was through this once again that the music came forth. As if caught under a trance, Lord Fidel walked forward haltingly, as if attempting to convince himself that this was an irrevocable action; if he continued, he would not be heard from again.

It was at that moment that the mysterious figure’s hood fell. A mask as black as the cloak and dotted with white colored stars covered their face, leaving openings only for the eyes, not straying below the bridge of the nose or the cheekbones. They continue playing, luring the lord away, although a minute scrunch of their eyebrows gave away the irritation at the disappearance of their hood. Into a clearing, away from the tent from which the Lord woke from, and the person kept playing, refusing to stop for longer than a breath. Their partner stood up in a tree, waiting for the confirmation of the one below, but it was to their surprise when the musical piece ceased, and instead of an instrument of delicate notes there was now an equally as delicate weapon. They tossed the spear lightly in their hand, testing its weight, even though they knew by heart the heft the wood had in his hand, the tilt of the metal head unbalancing the equality of the sides.

“Lord, Fidel, was it? I am sure you are undoubtedly confused, if not the least bit intimidated right now. Last thing you remember was most likely the warmth of your bed whilst your knights stood guard, am I correct?” A devious smile gave a shiver to the lord. “Well, I’m certain you will not miss them. Just more pawns for your game, hm?” The figure snapped his fingers lightly, as if struck by a sudden thought. “Perhaps, you remember a time four months ago? When, unsuspectingly, you stumbled upon a queen? You challenged him, I am sure, although it was quite rudely interrupted by a passing king.” They shifted into a different stance. “Would you like to continue, that little skirmish? You would love to show your might against the queen you so dearly wanted to defeat, isn’t that right?” Not a movement from the lord, as frightened as he was. A disappointed sigh emerged in the night.

“I suppose you will die a coward.” There was no more to be said. The man in the tree jumped down, rolling to break the momentum of the fall and standing to walk over to the one in the now blood splattered cloak.

“Sorry, Kei. I couldn’t help myself.” Not a drop of remorse in his voice. Shaking his head, Kei didn’t say a word. Tadashi turned to face his king, searching for anger at ruining the plan. Even after staring for a minute, he found nothing but calming acceptance.

“It was your battle to fight, Tadashi. Be proud you at least gave him a chance, even if it would be fruitless in the end on the late Lord Fidel’s behalf.” There was an odd pride in Kei’s voice, but Tadashi’s put it down to his spearmanship. A small kiss as a reward, the two headed back to where Tobio and Shouyou waited by the willow tree casting its drooping branches over the river. A single look at Tadashi’s cloak informed them of the outcome, as did the blood smears on his spear. Not a word was spoken as they mounted once again and rode back to the castle.

There was nothing left to be said.

All that needed to be heard hung in the air between them, insubstantial in the way love is.

**Author's Note:**

> so ha i have no belief in my writing talent but i managed to whip this up for you, friend. i hope you like the gift, and i hope everyone else likes reading it.


End file.
